Once upon a time, a video showing a school teacher’s rant against government corruption went viral. Soon, that teacher became president and cleaned up the system.

Truth, it is often said, is stranger than fiction. In Ukraine, where a presidential election campaign is in full swing, this fairy tale scenario based on one of the country’s most popular television programs could become reality in next month’s election.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Ukrainian comedian who stars in the series called Servant of the People, is now the real-life front-runner in the election. The 41-year-old actor and political novice has adopted his fictional character’s values and platform, resulting in one of the most unusual twists on politics in the post-truth age.

A new season of Servant of the People is set to run in March, ahead of the election. Even before the new broadcast, Zelenskiy’s blend of fact and fiction was already deeply embedded in the campaign. YouTube results for Zelenskiy shows clips of the TV show side by side with campaign rallies.